Swinging Balls
by psychoredux
Summary: Amber Owens, a spunky quirky American witch, is the new Hogwarts transfer student. Even before she steps foot inside the castle, she and local Quidditch extraordinare Oliver Wood are ready to go at eachother's throats. OWOC
1. Prologue

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SWINGING BALLS**

**disclaimer :** I do not own Harry Potter or any people/places/terms associated with Harry Potter.

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**Ch.01 PLATFORM 9 ¾**

She sighed deeply, her hands fidgeting with the straps of her backpack. Eyes darting around nervously, she observed all the other students running around, hugging and talking to old friends, kissing mothers and fathers goodbye before jumping onboard the old fashioned train. The whole world was in motion around her, and she was simply standing there dumbly amidst it all.

"Oh gosh being the new girl sucks…" she muttered under her breath.

In all her 17 years of existence, Amber Owens had never felt so nervous and alienated. Of course, before, she was with friends, family, fellow Americans. To be here, unknown to people who had known each other for years, in a foreign country, at one of the most legendary schools of witchcraft…the experience was quite overwhelming.

Up until this year, she had attended the Salem School of Witchcraft and Wizard in Massachusetts. However, when the offer to transfer to England for her final year was suggested, she jumped at the opportunity. She figured that it'd be her only chance to experience Hogwarts, so she had agreed to it almost immediately. The only thing she hadn't anticipated was the homesickness and the lack of friends.

"She's in deep thought…"

"You can say that again…" she thought sarcastically in response. "Wait…!"

Eyes widening in sudden shock, she spun around on her heels…the gaze of two pairs of identical hazel eyes fixed on her with great interest. The eyes then surrounded her on opposite sides before circling around her.

"What am I, an animal carcass…?" Amber thought to herself wryly, their inspection of her akin to vultures circling in the desert.

"She's obviously new here…" one of them said matter of factly as he tapped his chin.

"Oh, without a doubt, that's for sure, Fred," the other replied.

"Okay…so the guy in the green is Fred…" she noted mentally.

"But not a first year, for sure…What do you reckon, George?" Fred asked his counterpart.

"And George is in the gray…" she noted.

"Sixth year maybe…?" George suggested after some thought.

"He's pretty good," Amber admitted to herself. She had always had an issue for being mistaken to be younger than she was. Being only 5'3" and with a "kiddish" face, she often came off as appearing 14, despite all her efforts to appear older. Her brown eyes were big, almond shaped because she was half Japanese. Brown hair was cut in a bob with sideswepted bangs around a slightly tanned face. She thought the shorter cut would make her seem more mature, but the effect was anything but.

The circle tightened, and the twins were practically staring into her eyeballs now. "Muggle born, judging from the clothing-"

"WRONG!"

"She speaks!" they gasped in chorus, jumping back. Exchanging glances, they were just about to get closer again before Amber stuck her hand out.

"Hold it busters!" Amber said sternly before smiling widely. "Proper introductions first and foremost! I'm Amber."

"Blimey…a foreigner!" they gasped before shaking her hand in turn.

"And I," the one named Fred spoke up. "Am Fred…and he" he gestured towards his twin.

"Am George," George said. "And we…"

"Are the Weasleys!" they said in synch. Amber bit back a giggle. They were just like a real life Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, only with flaming red hair.

To her joy, Amber struck up an instant friendship with the twins, taking special delight to their infamous reputations as pranksters, an art she prided in herself. Comparing creations, she swapped her own Jelly Leg Pops for some of the Weasley's Ton Tongue Toffees.

"So, you guys do anything else besides being the local hell raisers?" Amber asked as they dragged their trunks through the crowded and busy corridors of the Hogwarts Express. Amber's initial reaction to the "relic" of a train was fascination, as her experiences with such trains was limited to museums and old Western movies.

"Of course, my dear girl!" Fred said with a smirk. Amber was actually a year ahead of both Weasley's, to their shock. But because of her shorter stature and younger appearance, the two took particular joy in calling her 'dear girl'.

"We only avidly play the most amazing game in creation!" George added as they were able to find an empty compartment. Shoving her trunk in with her sneakered foot, she promptly sat down on one of the cushioned benches.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up. "You two play soccer?" she asked enthusiastically. Despite being an American, Amber was a soccer maniac. She'd play every day during the lunch break and during weekends at the park. Even at this moment, she was donning an Arsenal jersey.

The two Weasleys looked at her with confusion. Amber's mistake then hit her in the face. "Oh yeaaah…forgot where I was for a second!" she explained with a laugh. "Football, right?" she asked. The Weasley's still looked at her confused.

"Soccer?" Fred repeated, voice laden with disbelief

"Football?" George asked in a similar fashion.

"Also known as a Muggle sport highly inferior to the great game of Quidditch," a voice commented in a matter of fact manner.

Amber's jaw immediately dropped with the sudden, and RUDE, comment. Her brows knitted in rage. Sharply turning to face the doorway, she prepared to pounce on and maim the offender.

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	2. View from a Window

**Ch.02 View from a Window**

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Oliver Wood, 17 years old, 7th year Hogwarts student, Gryffindor Quidditch team captain, talented Keeper, cool-headed, amicable, hard-working, devilishly handsome, and miserably single.

Such was the plight of the boy with a seemingly perfect life.

Wood had gone through most of his life obsessed with only one thing. Quidditch. He lived, ate, and breathed the sport. Every morning, he woke up at the crack of dawn in order to practice, and would often practice through the day. His diet and conditioning were meticulous, as was his constant strategizing.

The dream of winning the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup was embedded in the front of Oliver's mind. This would be his last year at Hogwarts, and the final year to win the Cup. But the past summer had brought up many other questions. What else was there to live for besides Quidditch?

It seemed as if everyone else had something, someone to occupy other parts of their minds. The fact made Oliver feel a bit lonely. He even began to wonder if he even possessed other areas in his mind, or had Quidditch just taken over his life completely?

"Quidditch never prepared me for this question…" he groaned as he rested his elbow on the windowsill of the train compartment.

Of course he had friends…he wasn't a loner by any means. It was just a matter of passion. Everyone had passions they could share with other people…not things like Quidditch, but feelings, emotions. The fact that he could only feel a deep connection with Quidditch almost completely threw Oliver off balance.

"Hey Oliver!" a voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Ron Weasley, the younger brother of the twins. "Fred and George have been looking for you. Should be down in a compartment that way," he explained, pointing down the corridor.

"Oh…thanks Ron…" Oliver said surely, still not completely awake. Getting up, he took hold of his trunk, dragging it behind him. "I expect to see you at try outs this year, Ron!" he said over his shoulder as he weaved in between the students.

"Hey Wood, did you hear see that game between England and Scotland? Bloody amazing!"

"Can't wait to see you on the pitch, Oliver!"

"Picked out your team yet, Oliver?"

"We'll get the cup this year!"

Oliver stopped in the middle of the corridor. Was it just his imagination, or was the only thing people spoke to him about Quidditch? He hastily pulled aside a Gryffindor third year.

"Hey, what do you know about me?" Oliver quickly asked the third year, who seemed a bit overwhelmed by the Gryffindor Quidditch captain addressing him directly.

"Well, you're a bloody amazing Keeper, and a great team Captain, and the way you think while you're on your broom-"

"Never mind," Oliver said quickly before walking away. Continuing his search for the Weasley twins, he couldn't help but to keep thinking about his current predicament. He never thought anything of it before this summer. In fact, he always considered it normal, the right thing. But apparently, HE was the only one who didn't know that he was a complete Quidditch fiend.

He sighed heavily, remembering what brought out the sudden insecurities.

"_Oliver, sometimes I just don't get you…I don't want to feel like I need to compete with a SPORT just for you to notice me!"_

Why did she have to say that…?

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thanks to everyone that reviewed the first chapter!

I hope you continue to read this fic P

further C/C's always appreciated


	3. Ohhhhhhhh SNAP!

**Author's note: **In case this hasn't caught on yet...the story will be AU. Oliver and Amber are in their 7th year, Weasley twins in their sixth, and Harry and co. in their fourth. Since it does focus on Oliver and Amber, the events of the HP series will not be a factor.

Thought I'd let you all know in case you prefer more HP storyline-accurate fics...because this is not one of those.

Okay, enough mumbo jumbo! On with the story!

o

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**Ch.03 Ohhhhhhhh SNAP!  
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Looking completely offended, Amber opened her mouth, about to yell at the insulter of her beloved past time, to verbally curse their soul into oblivion before they could even fathom the damage they had done to themselves. The words couldn't come, though, and she sat there sputtering nonsense.

He was just too BEAUTIFUL!

Tall and lean, strong shouldered, brunette, brown eyed…just too gorgeous for his own good!

Snapping out of her trance, Amber slapped herself on the forehead. Eyes glaring daggers, she pointed an accusing finger at the guy,

"You…you can't just SAY that about soccer!" she spat. He merely cocked his eyebrow and smirked confidently. "Arrogant little bug…" she grumbled to herself. From the people who knew her even remotely, it went without saying that Amber had the shortest fuse. The fire of defiance could spark up in her almost instantly. Usually, she'd come to regret it after…but it seemed an almost hopeless case for her.

"I think it's all fair and well when comparing it to Quidditch," he reasoned calmly. Amber caught notice of his Scottish accent, and the little voice inside her mind jumped with joy at the sound of it. She could only curse herself for being such a giddy girl on the inside.

"So troublesome when I'm trying to get angry," she thought to herself in dismay.

"Buddy, I think you're delusional," Amber said, crossing her arms defiantly. The Twins made sure not to interrupt, watching the two do battle. "You obviously have no idea what sort of trash you're spewing," she continued with a slight chuckle to herself. She willed herself to keep going, seeing his confident smirk start to fade, replaced by an irritated twitch of the eyebrow.

"Like…Quidditch is played on broomsticks, if I remember correctly. Surely, a Quidditch player stands little to no chance in comparison to the physical and athletic ability of a great soccer player!" she said daringly, watching his fists clench and unclench. "Its an alright game and all…but just can't compare to the intricacies of the TRUE 'beautiful game'. It's elementary, really."

"Look at Wood, he's steaming at the ears…!" Fred whispered to George as they watched the two, both of whom were standing now.

"Quality entertainment…Ron and Harry should've been here to see Wood lose his cool…Amazing!" George whispered back, grinning from ear to ear.

"You, little girl…have no idea…! A lot of nerve…! Must be crazy…!" he sputtered, pointing at her, trying unsuccessfully to string a coherent sentence together.

Amber pouted her lips mockingly, pulling her "sad face". "Awww…did I hurt lil Quidditch boys feelings?" she asked snidely. She was directly in his face now, craning her neck a bit, but still fearless despite the obvious height difference between the two.

"Let me tell you this, you little brat. Someone like you, who adores a Muggle sport, really shouldn't be saying anything about Quidditch because quite frankly, it is far from being comprehended by you **little **brain," he said between gritted teeth.

"Little?" Amber repeated with a snort. "I'll tell you what's little…you know what they say about Quidditch players, right? Need a **stick **between their legs to make up for what's missing dow-"

"Alright now, children…" Fred said calmly, holding Amber back by the shoulders and seating her on one of the benches.

"Time to play nice now! Wouldn't want to be sent to Azkaban for offing a fellow student, now would we?" George reasoned, seating Oliver on the opposite bench. Although the Twins did love to see a good brawl, they figured such a rift between their team Captain/friend and their new friend wouldn't bode too well in the future. And by the sounds of the two's verbal jousting, they would either begin tearing at each other's throats or die trying.

"There we are now…happy little family, right?" Fred asked, making sure to keep a careful eye on the two lest they jump from their seats. "Now, for proper introductions! Amber, you first now."

"Come on Amber…" Fred urged, draping his arm over the livid girl's shoulders. "For me…?" he asked again, pulling his best puppy dog eyes, which would have been laughable if it weren't for the two very grim compartment passengers.

"Amber Owens…" she grumbled, shooting a poisonous look over at her now sworn enemy.

"I say your name far precedes your disposition," Oliver commented coolly. "Black Coal is much more fitting," he added.

"Oh, really? Well, please bestow upon me the honor of hearing your great name, Mr. Hot Shot."

"Oliver Wood," Oliver said shortly and snappily.

"Ironic last name if you ask me…" Amber commented offhandedly.

"Um…George, the tea trolley!" he pointed over to the corridor before the two could get fired up again.

"Of course!" George sang, sliding open the compartment door in order to get a "little bit of everything". Amber and Oliver merely continued to exchange angry glares, the tension obvious despite being on completely different sides of the compartment.

"Cauldron Cake, Amber dear?" George offered.

"More like the devil…" Oliver muttered under his breath. Amber glared over, their eyes locking on…both daring the other to make another move.


	4. Got Flash?

**Ch.03 Got Flash?**

"Wow, how cool! I always love looking at these!" Amber exclaimed as she looked at the card that came with her Chocolate Frog. Eyes danced in delight watching the figures move on their own.

"You're a witch!" Oliver pointed out in shock. "From a magical family…how can you **possibly** be entertained by a moving picture?" he asked. Amber looked over with a slightly annoyed glance, but seeing no condescension on his face, decided to answer him at least somewhat respectfully.

"In the States, the Muggle and Wizarding communities are much closer in proximity than here in Europe. it's a lot harder to hide places like Hogsmeade and Hogwarts since most areas have been urban developed," she explained. "Sure…there are wizarding communities…but since we're so much closer to Muggles, we choose to act a lot like them. I sure don't mind. Have lots of good Muggle friends, matter of fact!"

Since the initial verbal throw down between Amber and Oliver, the tension seemed to have cooled down a little, and the Weasley's seemed to have actually been successful at **keeping** the peace rather than urge the ire of the Amber and Oliver. Of course, the occasional backhanded comment made its way into conversation which led to a constant cycle of irritation between the two.

But, because so many students came into the compartment to talk to the Weasleys, Oliver and Amber kept their cool for most of the ride, choosing instead to exchange challenging glares to the other.

"What a little prick…Woodless Boy Wonder's really getting on my nerves," Amber thought as she stared past Fred's shoulder and out the compartment window, watching the English countryside fly past. "Gets his panties in a bunch every time I say a damned thing…and I really wouldn't be THIS rude to him if he hadn't started it…" she concluded with a grimace.

Looking over briefly, she noticed him again casting a steely gaze in her direction. Turning away quickly, she chuckled to herself. "He keeps frickin looking over. If he weren't so hot, I'd probably be ready to beat his eyes into his skull, its so irritating." If anything, Amber had to admit that Oliver was definitely good-looking. True, she did call Quidditch players inferior to soccer players…but it did seem that Oliver had a very strong frame without being built like a bodybuilder. His face also seemed to hold a sort of daring charm, as if he would take any risk thrown at him.

Oliver clenched his jaw as he looked away from Amber. She really did something to him, whether she was saying something or just sitting there. "It seems as if she has a rebuttal for **every** single comment…the cheeky little brat," he thought with a frown. And it seemed to be true too. Every time they'd start to argue, she had some snide comment up her sleeve, and her wit caught him off guard every time. Truthfully, he found her wisecracking rather clever, and would have enjoyed it if it weren't being directed at HIM.

Glancing over, he noticed her looking out the window, and for a split second, had to admit to himself that he **did** find her rather attractive. She had an almost pixie-like charm to her…petite delicate features, despite the razor sharp tongue exuded a sort of confidence Oliver had never seen in a girl before. She was small, but could take on the world if it opposed her. At first glance, her appearance was quite innocent and very much on the cute side…but even before she would say a word, one would know that she could dole out damage as well as take it.

"Should be pulling into the station soon…" George commented lazily.

"Another year at Hogwarts!" Fred exclaimed. "Whatever mischief could we cause?" he asked rhetorically with an impish smile. Standing up, he grabbed his robes from the overhead rack. George followed suit.

"We shall leave the lady to dress in here," George said in a mockingly gentlemanly manner as he pulled down the blinds on the windows facing the hallway.

"And barge in on our dear brother and his friends!" Fred finished as the two left the compartment. That left just Oliver and Amber, alone with each other. They looked at one another.

"Well?" Amber asked with a smirk.

"Well what?" Oliver asked, though he obviously knew what she meant.

"Are you going to follow their fine example and allow the lady to change in here…with privacy?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Oliver looked around before shrugging. "The last time I checked, there was no lady in here. Just me and a brute," he said coolly. Amber frowned for a split second before regaining her composure.

"Alright then…guess I'll have to do this some other way," she said with a sigh, standing up. Oliver smirked to himself. One point for him!

But before he could celebrate, Oliver nearly choked on his own saliva at what Amber did next.

Right in the middle of the compartment, Amber had whipped off her own shirt, showing off a white tank top…RIGHT in front of Oliver. Backing up as far as he could into his own corner, Oliver looked at her wide eyed.

"W-w-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Oliver sputtered. Amber merely grinneded devilishly, starting to tug at the hem of her tank.

"Well, you said I'm no lady…so you should have expected this!"

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oo

well, there's chappy 4!

thanks to anyone who's been reading this fic, really appreciate it, whether you've commented or been a silent reader

(and lots of thanks to **Serpent of Slytherin** for all your comments!)


	5. Gotcha!

**Ch.05 Gotcha!**

Amber was nearly besides herself with mirth after Oliver had nearly tripped over himself trying to scramble out of the door. At first, he tried to play as if he didn't believe she'd take off the rest, but once her tank top had been pulled above her ribs, he had made no haste in charging out of the compartment. Now recalling the moment. She was nearly falling over herself from the laughter.

"You crazy little troll!" he had shouted before slamming the sliding door closed behind him.

Then, a thought hit her…what if he had stayed? What if he had more audacity than she had believed, and even DARED her to go on with it? Of course, she had her pride…but would she have proved her fearlessness, or preserved her dignity. She had never ACTUALLY stripped down in front of a male before.

"Gosh, he'd be one sick bastard in that case…" she muttered with a shudder.

But the possibility of the situation…was very interesting.

Amber had to admit…Oliver did look to be the type that she could fall for very easily, was it not for his irritable personality. Though…it was more so how much he was able to irritate her that she found unsettling.

Then she wondered what actually had given her the thought to undress in front of Oliver. It wasn't as if she had previously contemplated giving him a free show…but in all her past pranks, she had never gone down the path of strip teasing. But then the sudden thought of clear soled high heeled platforms and spinning around a golden pole brought about another gale of laughter.

Still giggling over the thought, Amber loosened her tie around her neck, leaving the top two buttons of her shirt undone. She had never been much for formal dress, and having to wear a school uniform was new to her. Back in Salem, they wore Muggle clothes. The school actually went under the alias of Southbridge Private Academy. To any Muggle, it seemed to be a normal school. But of course…Muggles had never stepped foot into the school.

"Ahh, Amber…you almost look half decent for once," she said to herself with a laugh. Looking out the window, she noticed that it was getting dark, but they still hadn't pulled into the station.

"Still time to cause mischief…?" she thought to herself with a smile, the thought becoming very tempting. "Pfft...Hell yeah…"

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Oliver paced the train corridor, to the confusion of anyone who happened to look out from their compartments. Running his had through his hair, he shook his head viciously.

"She's crazy…! Absolutely a complete NUT!" he muttered to himself, recalling when Amber had suddenly whipped off her own shirt. Eyes wide with horror, he placed a hand over his mouth. "I nearly saw a female in her under things…" he whispered to himself in shock.

Black lace.

Nearly smacking himself , he couldn't believe his own mind had remembered such a detail. "You're not a pervert, Oliver, for Merlin's sake! Don't think of such things!" he thought, scolding himself. But in the few hours or so that he had known this girl, whose disposition could very well be mistaken for a male's, he would have never expected…black lace.

"Aghh…stop this nonsense, Oliver!" he growled, smacking himself a few times on the head. "Think Quidditch, Quidditch…House Cup…Keeper…Beat Slytherins…I AM NOT A PERVERT!"

"Say it any louder Woodless, and people are going to think otherwise," a voice said cheekily. And there she stood, smirking at him, the mirth in her eyes only too obvious. Oliver opened his mouth to say something, but it seemed as if it had run dry as a desert.

"I am not…surely you wouldn't think…of all people…your fault…!" he stammered, pointing at her accusingly. The amused scrutiny of her golden brown eyes was making the situation completely unbearable, especially considering his previous thoughts. He really hoped his face wasn't red. His skin had always been pale, despite being outside all the time, so it really couldn't be helped when his face would turn as red as a beet.

Amber inched closer to him, turning her face upwards to look at him. Oliver tried to avoid looking at her, but it was quite impossible. "I really hope you're not thinking about me naked…because that'd be quite, quite sick," she whispered with a chuckle before walking off.

"You can use the compartment now!" she said over her shoulder before skipping off.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Humming, Amber washed her hands in the small wash room on the train. Drying her hands, she checked her face in the mirror before a sudden thought struck her. Her hands froze in mid-air and her eyes went wide as a full realization of what she had just done smacked her in the face at a hundred miles per hour.

"I just said…" she muttered, eyes directed at the mirror but not even remotely focused. She then remembered just how close she had been to him, how low her voice had, how she was practically…

"OH MY DEAR GOD!"


	6. The 'WOW' Factor

**Ch.06 The 'WOW' Factor**

"Oh dude, this is pissa awesome!" Amber exclaimed as she watched the rolling scenery of the school grounds pass by. Wide eyed, she was practically falling out of the carriage, her whole upper half sticking out into the cold night.

"Amber dear, if you stick your head out like that mane eating bats will swoop down and mangle your face up," Fred informed matter of factly. Amber briefly stuck her head back in and scowled at Fred.

"I'm not buying another one of your tall tales, Weasley!" she huffed before resuming her sightseeing. Earlier, as they has been leaving the Hogwarts Express, Fred nearly had Amber believing that the lanterns were pixie powered, and she nearly blinded herself trying to peer into the lights to see them.

And amidst this whole fiasco, Oliver couldn't help but notice just how GOOD Amber looked in her school robes. Of course, the house colors hadn't appeared yet (those would be determined later) but despite that, but it was clear NO ONE was supposed to look THAT good wearing a uniform. And it didn't help Oliver that her current position hiked her skirt up a few inches. Cute…alluring…tomboyish…sexy…it wasn't supposed to all go together so well!

"Enjoying the view as well, Ollie?" George asked in a hush. Oliver looked at his friend, mouth agape as he tried to defend himself. But the Weasley had an all knowing grin on his face and Oliver knew it would be impossible to convince him that he wasn't thinking about "those" sorts of things. "Don't worry, I won't impose," he added with a teasing grin.

"Sh-shut it George…" Oliver muttered, turning his face away as he felt a twinge of heat rise in his cheeks.

"Dayummm…that's some huge castle there! Oh, with turrets and everything!" Amber cheered in awe, kicking her feet like a child in her excitement. Fred jumped back as she nearly knocked him out with her attacks.

"This is too dangerous even for me," Fred said with a huff. "Here Ollie, you and me switch places!" And before Oliver could even voice his protest, the twins tossed him to Amber's side of the carriage.

"You two little-" Oliver snarled before dodging another one of Amber's excitement attacks. The girl could definitely kick.

"This is soo neat!" Amber said with an uncharacteristic giggle as she brought herself fully back into the carriage. Closing her eyes in calm, she promptly leaned her back against Oliver's arm. Her could hardly move.

"Definitely looking forward to this school!" she muttered. Settling into his shoulder, she rubbed the side of her face against his cloak, a satisfied smile on her face which reminded Oliver of a cat. That, in turn, reminded Oliver of petting and purring, which immediately made him uncomfortable again. Fred and George were valiantly trying to hold their laughter.

"Fred…" Amber said with a frown, her eyes still closed. "When did you put your cloak on…?" she asked warily before finally opening her eyes. She blinked as she looked at the twins sitting next to each other OPPOSITE of her.

"….Fred…" she said slowly, pointing at him. He smiled at her innocently. "George…" He mimicked his twin's seemingly oblivious nature. "Which means…"

Slowly, Amber tilted her head backwards against the broad firm shoulder of her head rest…until she eventually met the flustered face of none other than Oliver himself.

"Sunnava…!" Amber yelped, jumping back into her corner of the seat. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG YOU PEOPLE AND PULLING SHIT LIKE THIS?" she screamed at the three of them, to the twin's amusement and Oliver's confusion.

"We didn't do a thing," the twins said in unison with their best innocent faces. Oliver looked at the two with a face of disbelief.

"Don't go pinning your tomfoolery on me now!" Oliver exclaimed, pointing at the two twins who were still putting up their "It wasn't me" feign. He looked at Amber, who seemed incredibly miffed. She must have seriously thought he was some sort of guy who went around trying to cop cheap feels on girls.

"You know what guys…I'm not even going to ask!" Amber said with a frown as the carriage stopped. With a forceful kick, she opened the door and jumped out.

"Honestly Oliver, boy, you always have to go do such indecent things like that!" Fred said in a mock scolding voice. He shook his head at Oliver as he followed Amber out of the carriage. Oliver opened his mouth in disbelief.

"Most unbecoming in a future Quidditch star, sexual assault that is," George chided with a snicker before hopping out.

"Bunch of mental cases, the whole lot of them…" Oliver grumbled as he followed the other students to the castle, his walk resembling a giant's lumber.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Amber took a deep breath as she heard her name being called by Professor…Manacle? Monocle? McDonalds? She honestly couldn't remember. Slowly, she made her way up to the front of the room, ignoring all the inquisitive stares. Picking up the hat, she pulled it on over her head, sitting down promptly.

Then, a little voice began talking to her.

"Is this how they do it here? Talking hats?" she wondered.

"That's right little lady, a talking hat…but don't be so degrading, now!" it scolded lightly. "Now…let's see…where to put this late bloomer…"

"I am NOT a late bloomer. Get the facts straight," Amber argued mentally with a frown.

"Alright alright, I know that, don't get so upset! Now then…you're remarkably bright for your temperament…" Amber frowned again. "See? Already angry. Pity…but you are passionate, I'll give you that. Creative, very unique imagination. You think on your feet well too."

"Why thank you!" Amber thought with a small smile.

"Though most of the time your schemes are a bit too impossible, but your heart is in the right place for the most part. You are incredibly conniving however-"

"I AM NOT CONNIVING!" Amber shouted out loud before clasping her hands over her mouth, Sniggers were heard from the students, especially from the Weasley's and even from Oliver, who found her inability to hide emotions extremely amusing.

"Done making a scene out of yourself?" the hat asked. Amber decided then that the hat was a total smartass, wherever it got that personality she had no idea. "Moving along…you are loyal, though…and very honest…albeit unnecessarily brutal at times. So, I'll say…GRYFFINDOR!"

Smiling broadly, Amber neatly placed the hat and walked briskly over to the table where Fred and George were welcoming her back. She sat down next to the pair and gave high fives to both before looking across the table at two brown eyes.

"Awww, Woodless, and you're so happy to see me too!" Amber said in a sugary sweet voice with her best smile. Oliver only grumbled and turned away, eliciting a giggle of mirth from Amber.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Two hours later, a very full and satisfied Amber was strolling out of the Great Hall patting her tummy. The Weasleys had gone off to find their brother and sister and their friends, leaving Amber to herself. Not that she minded. She knew she just met them, and they had other responsibilities, for lack of a better term considering that the two were hardly responsible.

Noticing a familiar, tall lone figure trudging up the stairs a little distance behind the other Gryffindors, she jogged to catch up with his stride before knocking him behind the head.

"Wassup Woodless G Masta Flex?" Amber greeted with a smirk. Oliver narrowed his eyes, setting them straight ahead. The two fell into silence as they walked along, and the two stayed silent as they entered the common room through the portrait hole, and not a word was said when they parted at the stairwell to the dormitories.

That night, Amber was desperately trying to sort out her emotions. It wasn't an easy thing for her to do on normal occasions, never mind something as CRAZY as this. _Oliver Oliver Oliver. _The name was just repeating in her mind over and over, like a dripping faucet in the middle of the night. It taunted her, and she wasn't even sure what she was being taunted with! It was complete madness how in less than a day, the only name and face that she could see was HIS.

Amber groaned in her pillow, kicking her feet soundly against the mattress. "Dear lord, NOT with a broomhead!"


End file.
